328 A/C Dryer (1987)

I've searched the forums and the internet generally and haven't been able to find an answer to my problem. I am trying to get my A/C fixed, and in the process am replacing the dryer. The system had previously been "updated" to R134a. When I searched for the replacement part (61989500), I found that it was superseded by 129101. So I purchased the 129101, only to have my mechanic tell me that the sensor is on the wrong side, so it butts up against the bucket in the front compartment. The connections are male/female so it can't turn be turned around to solve the issue. I'm attaching a picture of the old and the new. Can anyone provide some help?

Thanks in advance.
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There is an absolute direct fit available. As I recall it fits an Audi or something. I took one recently to my local A/C shop. He had a look and came back 2 minutes later with a twin. It was cheap too.

Don't have the number on this computer or I'd tell you.

What happened to you is pretty typical. Supersede to a part that does not fit. They define that as supporting the older models. Really big of them.

 

This is not an absolute. When I upgraded my AC, the F part was nearly $300, the identical BMW part was less than $100, so I went through the catalogue and found one off a caterpillar for $20 - all identical.

What you can't do is reverse them - they have a definite In and Out port, but other than that, just get one that fits.

 

I'll try to find the part number - I replaced the dryer a couple of years ago for 26 bucks that was an exact replacement EXCEPT for the lack of a sight glass, which you don't need anyway. I bought it from one of the common parts suppliers but, unfortunately, I can't remember which company either. I'll see if I can find a reference somewhere in my Ferrari papers/notes.

 

I was confused on the price - the drier was $11.00 from Arizona Mobile Air, part number 37-13293. It is currently listed there for 11.25!
Total cost for new drier, expansion valve (Four Seasons 38611 and new limit switch (Ariz Mob Air 29-30703-3 was 65 bucks.

All components have been in place for several years and my 328's AC works quite well...NOT great, but it can keep me reasonably comfortable into the 90's which it could never do until I completely went through the system (after two fumbled attempts by alleged air conditioning techs to service it). I use Duracool refrigerant.

 

Thanks all for your very quick, very informative and very helpful responses. I'll see what I can do about getting the replacement parts. The work is being done at the Ferrari dealership so I might have a bit of trouble getting them to use outside parts, but it's worth a try. They were willing to install the evaporator I supplied since they couldn't find one - although that was an OEM part.

Thanks again. I'll keep you posted.

 

Frigette 207-819

They may not want you to supply it but give them the number and at least you will get the correct part.


Dealers have a lot of overhead and parts markup is one of the ways they cover it. Just the price of their business. Its really no different than buying wine in a restaurant.

 

Thanks for the part number Rifledriver. I haven't been able to find a picture of this one, so I don't know if it will work; in looking at the Arizona Mobil Air one mike996 provided, I noticed that the configuration (i.e., inlet and outlet connections) are the same as the OEM 129101, so I'm thinking that one won't fit my 328 either (mike996 - you say you were able to install it in yours without problems?). I have the following additional information: on the Official Factory Ferrari website the 129101 part# shows good for a 412, 3.2 Mondial and Testarossa, and the #61989500 applies to the 328 GTB/GTS, GTB/GTS turbo, and 3.2 Mondial. So it can be used interchangeably on the 3.2 Mondial (can't quite figure that out), but not the 328 according to Ferrari's official word. The bucket in the front compartment would have to be "modified" to make room for the 129101. Here's a picture of the 61989500, and it does look like the inlet/outlet match the one that was in my car, and are opposite to the configuration of the 129101.

 

Sorry; here's the pic
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Looking at the pictures and comparing to my car which is here right now and is untouched in that area the 129101 is the correct configuration. I suspect something else on your car has been changed.

As built the male thread points to the front of the car (to condenser), the pressure switch towards the spare tire and the female thread to the rear (to evaporator). That describes the 129101.

 

Nero - hmm...maybe the '89 328 was different than the earlier ones. On my 89 the AMA drier was identical to the oem unit OTHER than the absence of the sight glass.

 

From what resources I have they are all the same but Ferrari has had 3 or so part numbers. That is often due just to different suppliers. From what I can see though the new part in the first photo should fit. I can't help but wonder as a result of the conversion or prior repairs of some kind if different hoses were made and the correct dryer no longer fits.

I shouldn't say they are all the same. I have a picture of the 114xxx and the 129101 and they are the same. The 61989500 he is holding is clearly different but is a number called for by Ferrari..

 

The new one in post 1 should fit, the one in post 9, its pressure switch is going to hit the frame.

If it was me I'd take the 129101 or the Frigett part I gave you a number for and have an A/C shop make new hoses to fit so it is all back to the way it should be.

 

I guess that's my dilemma: the original one (61989500) does fit, so it would lead me to believe that no changes have been made to the hoses, etc. It's the new part (129101) that won't fit. My car is an '87, so maybe the later cars (ABS) are different. Unfortunately, I don't have the car back yet, so I can't take a look.

 

Later cars are the same. I just replaced one 3 weeks ago.

 

Update: I got the car back today. These are pictures of the 61989500 dryer as it is installed in my 1987 328GTS. As you can see, the sensor faces toward the outside of the car. Given the orientations of the inlet/outlet, the 129101 would require that the sensor face the inside of the car, i.e., towards the spare tire compartment. Given how far the sensor protrudes, it would hit up against the spare tire compartment, with the only alternative being to cut away part of the spare tire compartment, something I was not willing to do. My car has not been modified in this area – this is attested to by the fact that the original part as indicated in the 328 parts book, the 61989500, fits perfectly. Also, in looking at the pictures from Charlie Rose’s Guide on the 328 A/C, my configuration is identical to his.

Information I have is that the official Ferrari Factory website (this info from the local Ferrari dealer) states that the 129101 is a replacement for 3.2 Mondial, 412 and Testarossa; not the 328. Eurospares in the UK also indicated to me that the 129101 was not listed as a replacement for the 328.

Don’t know what all this means, but thought I would provide the info in case others might come across the same issue.
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This is what mine looks like (89 ABS), the pressure switch almost touches the spare wheel well but not quite.
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On the dryer/switch I got from AMA, the switch does not protrude that far from the dryer and it's not at all close to the spare tire well. I'll bet the switch in the pic above is 2x as long as the one on my dryer.

FWIW, if the switch does interfere, couldn't you just rotate the dryer slightly in the mount? There should be enough flex in the refrigerant lines to allow that.

 

Just to add to this thread
On my 1989 euro 328
Position of my dryer/ pressure switch ;-)
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